


Jimmy the Vampire Slayer: Scholarship Edition

by SiroccointheSand



Series: Jimmy: The Vampire Slayer [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Comics 1998), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Bully (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29989158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiroccointheSand/pseuds/SiroccointheSand
Summary: Jimmy has been kicked out of yet another school for causing trouble, so his mother enrolls him at Bullworth Academy to get him in line. However, Jimmy is the latest in a long line of warriors destined to hunt and kill demons, and this school is where he'll discover his true nature. Will Jimmy accept his destiny? And will he be able to survive his new school that has something heinously evil brewing under the surface?
Relationships: Jimmy Hopkins/Zoe Taylor, Lionel Galloway/Deirdre Philips
Series: Jimmy: The Vampire Slayer [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205879
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	Jimmy the Vampire Slayer: Scholarship Edition

**Author's Note:**

> This is the prequel to Jimmy the Vampire Slayer: Season One, essentially re-writing the events of the game through the filter of Jimmy being a vampire slayer; Taking elements from the Bully video game, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics, and of course Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. This is how Jimmy Hopkins ended up in Sunnydale.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy arrives at Bullworth, but things aren't as they seem.

_Prologue: The Dark Ages_

_Thunder crashed in the night outside as an older man in robes and a freckle-faced teenage nobleman sat across from each other at a small, ornate marble table. They were in a drawing-room on an upper floor in a dreary castle. They could hear a commotion downstairs, sometimes being amplified by the storm raging outside; the boy looked at the door with apprehension. It was bolted shut, and they were safe for now. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for whoever was downstairs._

_“You must be wrong!” The boy said, his brow furrowed in discontent._

_“The signs all point to it. You are the chosen one,” The older man said. He was dressed in fine robes, though not as nice as the boy._

_“This cannot be true! You said, according to your myths, the slayer is ALWAYS female! I’m a boy! I cannot be your hero!” The boy shouted. The man frowned._

_“Do you not feel the power? Yes, you being called is an anomaly. Some would even call it an abomination. The people that call it that, however, are very ignorant. It has been observed a few times in the past - it begins, rather-”_

_A heavy thud banged against the door, and the boy darted backward against the opposite wall. The man drew an ornate wooden stake, ready for combat with whatever hellish beast was on the other side._

_“Do not fret, my child, I did not come to hurt ye,” A voice calls from outside._

_“Your family was not scared; they died nobly. Will you do the same, boy?” The voice questioned. The boy looked up, suddenly full of righteous anger._

_“Demons walked this earth before man, and man created the slayer to fight them. They alone have the strength and skill to stop their heinous evil. Trained by the watcher, one slayer dies, and the next is chosen.”_

_“And I shall be his sword,” The boy responded. He knew what he had to do. He looked at the older man and, he was handed the ornate wooden stake._

_“Let Satan tremble. The Slayer is born,” The man said. The door snapped off its hinges at that moment, flying across the room and ending its journey at the opposite wall, not far from where the man and boy were standing. Not missing a beat, the boy lunged at whatever hellish creature was awaiting him on the other side._

* * *

New England: The Lite Ages

Jimmy Hopkins awoke in his stepfather’s backseat with a vicious jolt.

 _One hell of a dream,_ he thought. Emphasis on the _hell_ part. His head was still swimming with images. Knights and swords? Castles and beasts? Had he fallen asleep last night watching BBC instead of Adult Swim like he normally did? 

“Jimmy, please say something,” His mother drawled in her Alderney accent. 

“James-,” His stepfather began, but Jimmy cut him off. 

_“What? Who_ are you? Mom, I thought you told me to never talk to strangers,” Jimmy asked. He couldn’t stand his new stepfather at all. He was the latest in a long line of men his mother had married to keep her in the lifestyle she had become accustomed to since she divorced Jimmy’s father when he was a child. 

“ _As I said before, Jimmy,_ please be nice to your new stepfather,” Jimmy’s mother responded. Jimmy smirked.

“Okay, rich guy. I LOVE it that you’re twice as old as my grandfather and that you’re fat and bald,” Jimmy said. 

“That’s enough! I’ve had it with you, you little brat!” Jimmy’s mom spat. Jimmy rolled his eyes.

“You’ve upset your mother. I’ve got half a mind to beat you-” His stepfather started. 

“Half a mind is right, suddenly he realizes,” Jimmy laughed. He would seriously love to see his stepfather try. In fact, that was why he was with them right then instead of in school. He had been expelled for fighting, and well...he just happened to be stronger than the other kids. It wasn’t his fault; the other kids started it. 

They had tried to jump him after school, older kids. He was pretty sure at least two of them were seniors. Jimmy ended up coming out of it unscathed. However, two of the boys ended up in the hospital after he smashed his skateboard in their faces (which was then confiscated from him permanently), one of them was thrown into the fountain in front of the building. The fourth Jimmy found cowering in the bathroom after Jimmy ripped the door off its hinges (how was he supposed to know the door was that flimsy?) when he tried to lock Jimmy out in fear for his life. 

“I can’t believe you, you little monster,” His mother said, “We’ll deal with you when we get back from our honeymoon _next year.”_

 _What?_ Jimmy thought. His question was soon answered when they pulled up in front of a large gate that housed a sprawling campus.

 _Shit. They were serious about boarding school._ Jimmy thought.

“Here we are, boy, Bullworth Academy,” His stepfather said. Jimmy rolled his eyes and got out of the car with his bag. 

“Have fun, Jimmy. I’ll be thinking of you from our _cruise ship,_ ” His stepfather and mother laughed as they sped away.

 _Mom, why’d you marry that phony? What is wrong with you? I can’t believe this._ Jimmy thought as a woman in a pencil skirt, and a blazer appeared behind him. 

“You must be the Hopkins boy-” The woman said.

“Huh? Where’d you come from?” Jimmy said, startled.

“We’ve been expecting you. Welcome to Bullworth Academy. I’m sure you’ll be happy here, thrilled indeed. Anyway, I can’t spend my life waiting around for naughty little boys. I’ve got a MAN to make happy. The headmaster is expecting you, Hopkins, in his study.”

“Ok,” Jimmy smirked and tried to walk in the opposite direction of the gates.

“His study is OVER THERE, boy, in the main building. Don’t keep Dr. Crabblesnitch waiting. He’s a brilliant man. Brilliant!” Jimmy rolled his eyes and walked through the gate that swung shut behind him. 

He strolled across the campus as eyes and whispers followed him. A few giggles made him feel self-conscious. He held his bag a little closer as he ascended the steps and walked into the building. The building was big, and it was bustling with students. As he was lead inside by Ms. Danvers, they walked up the staircase towards the main office. Ms. Danvers sat behind her desk, pulling a pair of glasses on and motioning for him to wait. She turned her desk intercom on.

“Dr. Crabblesnitch, the Hopkins boy has arrived,”

“Thank you, Ms. Danvers, send him in.” 

Jimmy felt a lurch in his stomach as she motioned for him to enter Dr. Crabblesnitch’s office wordlessly. He walked inside, trying to appear confident and not completely at unease. 

_Better get this over with._

“Ah, you must be the Hopkins boy,” A droll, New England accent greeted him. A middle-aged man in a suit sat behind a desk, a fake smile planted on his face. Jimmy was unimpressed; this was the guy the secretary was creaming herself for? Please. If this man were any more boring, he'd be dead.

“Uh-huh,” Jimmy groaned unenthusiastically. Dr. Crabblesnitch cocked his head.

“Uh-huh, what ‘uh-huh’?” Dr. Crabblesnitch intoned. Jimmy’s eyes rolled internally.

“I mean, ‘yes sir,’” Jimmy said.

_I might as well try a little honey on this fly._

“Very good, now let me see,” Dr. Crabblesnitch said, picking up Jimmy’s file off his desk. “Well, you’ve done a lot of naughty things, haven’t you? Vandalism, graffiti, bad language, disrespecting staff, and most recently,” Dr. Crabblesnitch’s eyes widened, “Extreme violent conduct.” 

“Yep, sure did,” Jimmy said, nodding. 

“Oh, I’m _scared_ of you, Hopkins,” Dr. Crabblesnitch said, pretending to shake in fright. Jimmy’s eye roll was now external.

“Give me a break.”

“Yes, I’ve never encountered a boy quite like you before, never in all my life. You are quite possibly the nastiest little boy I have ever encountered. Tell me, why should I waste my time on you?”

_Honestly, I don’t care._

“My stepfather’s tuition check cleared?” Jimmy said, but Dr. Crabblesnitch ignored him. 

“Because it’s my calling. It’s what I do. You excel in causing trouble, and I excel in fixing little boys like you, at making you into respectable members of our community here at the academy. I’ve got a good feeling about you, boy. A feeling you and I will be great friends. Just keep your nose clean, boy or I shall clean it myself!” 

Jimmy still wasn’t impressed. Honestly, what could this guy do to him? Kick him out? 

“Miss Danvers, is my tea ready?” Dr. Crabblesnitch said into his desk intercom. 

“Yes, sir, I have it right here,” Miss Danvers said, entering the room with an ornate teapot with a symbol on it that Jimmy’s subconscious seemed to recognize and send off warning bells in his head. 

“You are good to me, Miss Danvers,” Dr. Crabblesnitch smiled. 

“No more than you deserve, Headmaster,” She replied, almost cooing. She poured his tea, then, with a disapproving look to Jimmy, exited the room. Dr. Crabblesnitch turned his attention to Jimmy.

“Now, since we are focusing on eh...rehabilitating you, the _school board_ has decided it best that we put you in our newly established mentorship program,” Dr. Crabblesnitch drolled, emphasizing the ‘school board’ as if it hadn’t been his idea.

_Here go hell come, but why does he seem mad about it?_

“You have been assigned to Mr. Galloway, the English teacher. You will report to his classroom for your first class of the day, and he will fill you in on what is expected from you with this mentorship program. Oh, Miss Danvers, please make sure Hopkins is properly attired."

"Yes, Headmaster," Miss Danvers practically cooed in delight, and Jimmy felt the sudden urge to vomit. He walked out of Dr. Crabblesnitch's office with Miss Danvers. She immediately looked him up and down, all civility draining from her tone. 

"Well, boy? What are you waiting for? Go to your dorm immediately and put your _uniform_ on," She said, sitting at her desk. Jimmy rolled his eyes and sauntered out of the office, slinging his bag over his shoulders. Descending the stairs and exiting the building, he noticed more stares and whispers, not to mention giggling from his fellow students. 

_You've done this before, Jimmy. You've been the new kid a lot. I gotta get past the first few_ days.

He was walking towards the boys' dorm when he spotted three boys in white polo shirts standing in front of the dorm entrance. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when they spotted him, and he knew he was headed for a fight.

_Oh, come on, I just got here._

A blond, brunet, and a redhead stood in front of him. There was a joke there, but Jimmy was too annoyed by his current predicament to find it. The redheaded boy stepped forward and pounded his fist into his palm.

"Guess what time it is," The redhead said, smiling maniacally, "Time for a beatdown."

Two more boys in white polos appeared behind Jimmy, and he knew he was trapped. Sure, he could probably take all five of them, maybe not at once. He had more of a chance if he was able to beat down redhead solo, though, before his boys jumped in. He wasn't able to fully think out a strategy before the redhead lunged at him. 

"You better run," The redhead growled as he swung at Jimmy. Jimmy dropped his bag and ducked the blow, grabbing the boy by the shirt collar. He dealt three quick blows. The first to his face, the second to his chest, and the third to his stomach. He tossed the redhead to the ground, and the boy wheezed in surprise as his breath was knocked out of him.

"C'mon Wade, you gonna let the new kid do that to you?" A voice shouted from behind him. Jimmy whirled around and found himself face to face with a tall brunet boy who just smirked at him. Jimmy spotted a slingshot in the taller boy's pocket and made a mental note that he would be the first Jimmy would go after when he put redhead down. That slingshot was too good of a weapon to not have on him. 

The redhead chose the moment Jimmy was distracted by the taller boy to spring upward and charge at Jimmy again. On an instinct Jimmy didn't quite understand, he spun around and ducked, grabbing the boy by the waist and tossing him over his head onto the ground again. The boy groaned, wheezed, and after a moment, just lay there; Defeated. There was a beat where Jimmy whirled back around to stare at the boys in front of him, particularly at the taller boy with the slingshot. Nobody moved or said anything. Jimmy could tell either they were planning an exit strategy or finding some way to attack him. He heard the door to the dorms open behind him, and he assumed the two other boys in polos that had been behind redhead had skedaddled inside. When he heard a roar behind him, however, he knew that wasn't the case. He turned around just in time to be knocked on his ass by a much bigger boy. He had to admit, it had been a while since someone had been able to get him on the ground like that. 

"You're dead, new kid!" The absolute behemoth of a boy that knocked him down roared, beating on his chest. For a moment, the boy reminded him of King Kong. Jimmy rolled back onto his feet and stood up, trying to get a beat on how he would take this kid down.

"Get him, Russell!" Slingshot boy shouted, but as Jimmy and Russell sized each other up, a large black man in a suit came quickly through the boys' dorm gate and accosted them both. 

"Hey, you, break it up!" He shouted, and the remaining polo shirt boys took off running to avoid getting in trouble. Russell's demeanor almost immediately changed, and he almost looked sheepish at being chastised by an authority figure. 

"That's enough of that. Break it up. And you boy," The man said, staring Jimmy over, and for a terrifying moment, Jimmy wondered if he was about to get kicked out of school for fighting before he even put his uniform on. 

"Why are you not in your uniform, young man? Go change immediately!" The man said, and Jimmy breathed an internal sigh of relief. Russell walked away, and Jimmy nodded, picking up his bag and walking into the dorms. 

* * *

The door to the dorms swung shut behind Jimmy, and he was ready to get to his room to decompress. His adrenaline was pumping, and he was sure if someone accosted him again, he would put the kid in the hospital. A boy in a green vest flanked him from the left, and Jimmy had to stop himself from breaking the kid's nose for approaching him. 

"Hey, you're the new kid, right?" The boy asked, and Jimmy couldn't tell if the boy's interest was real or fake. He didn't care too much to find out either way. 

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Jimmy asked.

"Friendly, aren't you?" The boy said, and Jimmy rolled his eyes. 

"Gimme a break, loser."

"Hey, relax, friend," The boy drolled, and Jimmy's temper was about to explode, "You're all pent up, go easy, or they put you on medication. Boy, it nearly sent me insane,"

 _I think you need a higher dosage_ _,_ Jimmy thought.

"That's fascinating, now if you'll excuse me," Jimmy said, attempting to walk away, but the boy grabbed his arm.

"I said, relax, friend," The boy said forcefully, and Jimmy yanked his arm out of his grip and shoved the boy back into the wall behind him. The boy was caught off guard for a moment, and his eyes glinted with something Jimmy couldn't quite recognize, but it made him feel uneasy. After an uneasy moment, the boy spoke in a calm, even tone. 

"Listen to me, tough guy, you just arrived at the toughest school in the country, and I'm offering to be your friend. Trust me, in a place like this; you're gonna need friends. So, it's up to you. You gonna play nice, or what?" 

Jimmy weighed his options. Sure, it would be nice to have friends. He wasn't the type to make that many at his former schools, at least any that he bothered to keep in touch with after he was inevitably kicked out. If he refused, would this boy continue to pester him? The look in the boy's eyes made him a bit uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine that this boy had many friends either. He was taller than Jimmy. Lean, but muscular. Handsome, but there was something there that slightly screamed _school shooter_ in his manner. Jimmy decided it was a good idea to be his friend, lest he gets fired on instead. 

"Yeah, sure," Jimmy said.

"So how about I show you around," The boy said, clapping a hand on Jimmy's shoulder. He brought him into a common area, and Jimmy was impressed that the TV still seemed to be working through all the chaos. Boys were chasing each other around, getting into shoving matches; one was even tagging a wall in the far corner of the room.

"We don't have a bar or anything, just a soda machine," Gary said, gesturing to a vending machine across the room. Jimmy pulled out a crumpled dollar bill from his pocket and smoothed it out. Sticking it in the machine, he punched the button for Beam Cola. After a moment, a can shot out, and he chugged it down gratefully. Tossing the can into the garbage to the machine, he and Gary made eye contact for an uncomfortable moment.

"You should probably change into your uniform if you don't wanna get in trouble," Gary said, a bit sheepishly. Jimmy nodded and walked back into the hallway, spotting a door with a tacked-on piece of paper that said Hopkins on it'. He pulled down the paper, crumpling it up and walking inside his room. It was bigger than he expected, with only one bed in the middle.

 _Great, no roommates._

He tossed his bad and the crumpled-up paper into the middle of the room and collapsed on the bed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. After a moment, he got up and pulled his uniform out of it. He was impressed it was in his size.

He sat back down on his bed, and a smaller boy in a blue vest and pink shirt knocked on his open door.

"Hey, you're the new kid, right?" The boy asked trepidatiously, "I'm Pete, Pete Kowalski," Petey extended his hand to Jimmy, but Jimmy didn't shake it. 

"Jimmy Hopkins, and don't ask how I'm doing. I've been here five minutes, and already people want me dead." 

**"** Well…welcome to Bullworth. It’s a dump," Petey said, kicking the crumpled paper on the ground.

 **"** Great, I’ve been expelled from anywhere halfway decent," Jimmy said, a bit self-deprecatingly. As he said this, Gary entered his room.

“Yeah, I’ve been expelled from anywhere halfway decent _cause I’m really bad_. Give up the tough guy act, pal," Gary said, mocking Jimmy. 

"Remember when I nearly kicked your ass a few minutes ago? What’s your problem?" Jimmy asked, and Petey made a strangled noise that sounded like he was trying to stifle back surprised laughter. Gary's face burned in embarrassment for a moment, but he responded.

"Well, A.D.D. Primarily but also life, my parents, this school, western civilization, but really, honestly, enough about me," Gary said as he noticed Petey was in the room. He grabbed Petey by the shoulder and dragged him to his side, "Oh, I see you’ve met the dorm’s mascot. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you _Femme Boy_ , the girliest boy in school. Petey, haven’t you got some imaginary friends to annoy?"

Petey's face went pinker than his shirt, and Jimmy immediately felt a surge of protectiveness towards the smaller boy. Why couldn't Gary pick on someone his own size?

_Because someone his own size almost kicked his ass, probably._

"Why don’t you leave me alone, Gary," Petey whimpered, and Jimmy cringed in secondhand embarrassment when Petey's voice cracked. 

**"** Look at you! _Leave me alone, Gary! I’m really self-important now that I’ve finally hit puberty_! What’s your problem? I’m just being nice to the new kid as he passes through Bullworth on his inevitable journey to prison." 

_Okay, that's enough._

"Hey, enough. Leave him alone. I gotta unpack. Would you guys mind getting out of here?" Jimmy asked, exasperated. There was a moment of awkward tension; clearly, not many of Gary's peers made it a habit of telling him what to do.

"Oh, now look what you’ve done, Pete! Jimmy can’t stand you already!" Gary said, grabbing Petey's arm and pulling him out of the room. On his way out, however, Petey gave Jimmy another small wave as parting before exiting. Jimmy gave the boy a crooked smile. There was something kind yet fragile about Petey. He was earnest and sweet. Jimmy couldn't understand why he was in a school like Bullworth. 

* * *

After getting unpacked, Jimmy headed to the main building to find Gary. He entered the building to find it bustling with activity again but spotting Gary easily. He was taunting a short, chubby boy with glasses. Gary spotted Jimmy across the foyer and shoved the chubby boy away from him, who ran away crying. Jimmy observed that the boy's fly was down as well.

 _That must be the kid everyone picks on,_ Jimmy thought. Every school he had been to had one, some kid that wasn't as socially developed as the others that spent far too much time reading books or watching television to escape the world around them. Jimmy had only been that kid once, in kindergarten. The other kids were horrifically mean to him. Spilling glue on him, breaking his crayons, once even locking him in the restroom until he cried and the teacher let him out. Somehow he was the one that got in trouble for that. Jimmy was snapped out of memory lane when Gary sauntered up to him.

"C'mon Jimmy, let me show you around this prison," Gary said and took off running towards what looked like a student store. Jimmy followed and stopped right behind Gary, who was staring at the gargantuan boy who had almost given Jimmy a run for his money earlier. He was standing in front of some lockers, picking at his nails.

"That's Russell's locker. You know, the big ape who almost put you in the hospital," Gary deadpanned. Jimmy shifted uncomfortably.

"I could have taken him," Jimmy said, a little unsure of himself. Sure he was strong, but he didn't really know the extent of _how_ _strong_ he was. Could he take down a boy that big? Russell spotted them and crossed the distance between them, leaving barely any space between himself and Jimmy. 

"You, give me money, or I beat you!" Russell shouted, and Jimmy winced at the volume. 

_Who let Tarzan into this school?_

Jimmy looked at Gary, who shrugged and flourished his hands as if to say _pay the man._

"Look, hey, I'm sorry. I don't want any trouble here," Jimmy said, pulling a couple of more dollar bills out of his pocket and putting them in Russell's grip. Russell chuckled loudly and tried to put Jimmy in a headlock, but Jimmy ducked away just in time, rolling on the ground to avoid Russell's grip. Russell ended up catching Jimmy on the upswing as Jimmy rolled back up, shoving him back to the ground.

"Next time, you give more," Russell shouted, then ran away as he came into the view of a Prefect. Gary helped Jimmy to his feet and pointed to Russell's locker. 

"Come on! Let's break into it and steal something. That'll teach him," Gary said, taking a couple of pins out of his pocket and handing them to Jimmy. Jimmy smirked, tinkering inside the lock until he could hear the tumblers moving. He saw another Prefect out of the corner of his eye and pulled Gary closer, blocking the prefect's view of what he was doing. Jimmy could feel Gary's breath on his neck, and it suddenly felt very intimate. 

"Good thinking, Don't let the prefects see you break any rules; they'll hurt you, **"** Gary said in a tone that made it clear to Jimmy he had experienced that kind of treatment firsthand. Jimmy felt the lock give and slammed the locker door open, pulling out a cap with the Bullworth crest on the front. Gary nodded in approval.

"Well done," Gary practically purred, and Jimmy nearly jumped out of his skin when Gary's hand made contact with his lower back. However, he had no time to react because a very tall, muscular Prefect somehow managed to escape their line of sight and watched them intently from a few feet away. The Prefect cleared his throat, and Gary jumped, breaking apart from Jimmy like he was on fire.

"What are you two doing? You're gonna be in so much trouble," Karl said, and Gary took off without a second glance to Jimmy. Karl chased after him just as another Prefect showed up, and Jimmy ducked out of sight. Rounding the corner with nowhere to go, he spotted a mostly empty trash can that would be tall enough to hide him. Seeing the other Prefect closing in on him but not quite spotting him yet, Jimmy whined and quickly hopped in the trash can.

 _Please, let there be nothing in here that stains,_ Jimmy thought. He watched the Prefect look around for a moment before taking off in a different direction. Feeling safe, he climbed out of the trash can, much to the students' disgust in the corridor. Jimmy awkwardly waved at the crowd before taking off to find Gary again. For a moment, Jimmy felt lost, wandering the locker corridors for a few minutes until he spotted Gary, watching an overweight girl crying hysterically in the entrance to the girl's bathroom.

"Oh, man! There's that weird chick, Eunice. Let's have some fun with her," Gary said, rubbing his hands together maniacally. 

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Eunice repeated, heaving and sobbing. She was shaking with tears.

"Well? Go, see what she wants," Gary said, shooing Jimmy away. He approached Eunice and gave her what he thought was a sympathetic look. He wasn't gonna be Gary's personal bully. Whatever vendetta Gary had against the student body wasn't Jimmy's to care about.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jimmy asked. Eunice sniffed and stuttered as she spoke.

"He took my chocolate...please get it back," Eunice said, pointing down the hallway where the boy had fled. Jimmy had seen a boy running towards the boy's bathroom with a box of chocolates a moment earlier. Jimmy nodded and took off back in that direction. After making a couple of wrong turns, Jimmy came to a stop in front of the boy's bathroom. He could hear the sound of a wrapper being opened inside. He stepped inside quietly. The bathroom was dark, with only a couple of fluorescent lights flickering overhead. The floor was disgusting; it hadn't been cleaned days. Trash overflowed from the bins near the sinks, there was graffiti on the stalls, and almost all the stall doors were broken. The smell was also terrible, and Jimmy wondered how _anyone_ could eat chocolate in here without throwing up. 

**"** There he is. Show him what you're made of, Jimmy," Gary said, sneaking up behind him. Jimmy tried not to jump as the boy in front of him did, the boy almost spilling the chocolates on the floor at the sound of Gary's voice interrupting the quiet.

"Really Constantinos, stealing chocolate from _girls_? That's low, even for you," Gary said, walking to the sink and washing his hands. 

Jimmy didn't say anything, just walked up to Constantinos and snatched the chocolates out of the boy's hands. Constantinos looked frightened for a moment, but a sneer quickly replaced it.

"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it? Get your _boyfriend_ here to beat me up?" Constantinos sneered. Jimmy's fists flexed in anger, and he grabbed the boy by the collar, dragging him into a stall. He chucked Eunice's chocolates to Gary, who caught them with ease, and when he was out of Jimmy's sight, popped one into his mouth. 

"Does that answer your question?" Gary called.

"Wait, no stop, I was joking, I don't have an issue with gay people pl-" Constantinos begged as Jimmy shoved his head into the toilet and flushed it. He pulled Constantino's head out, and the boy was gagging and fell against the stall door, choking up toilet water and chocolate. Gary handed him back Eunice's chocolates, smirking. 

"Wow, thanks, boo," Gary lisped dramatically, but Jimmy cut him off before he could finish. He had just vowed he wouldn't bully any kids for Gary, and here he was not five minutes later giving a kid a swirlie because he thought Jimmy was Gary's boyfriend. 

_Is that why he's taken such an interest in me? Is he into me? I mean, he's not the ugliest guy I've ever seen._

Jimmy wasn't exactly only into girls, though he had no experience in the matter. This past summer, a particularly humiliating moment had involved his mother finding porn magazines in his room, gay and straight. Jimmy and Gary walked back to the girls' restroom in silence, a tension hanging in the air that always came when two boys' masculinity was questioned. Eunice's face lit up as Jimmy returned her chocolates to her. 

"Thanks! Uhm...wanna make out?" Eunice asked, and Gary smirked. Jimmy shrugged his shoulders and went in for a kiss. For not being very attractive, Jimmy had to admit, Eunice was a pretty good kisser. He opened his eyes and saw Gary blanch when her arms went around him. Jimmy could taste the chocolate on her tongue. They pulled away for air.

"Sheesh," Jimmy said, and Eunice nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah. See you around," She said and practically floated away from them. 

"You actually kissed her?" Gary said, and Jimmy wasn't sure if he could detect jealousy under the disgust in Gary's tone; he wouldn't lie, though; it made him feel a little exhilarated.

"Let's go to the caf. I'll show you who's who." 

After spending their breakfast hour pretending to listen to Gary describe all the school cliques with passing interest, he had a pretty good rundown of them all. The Nerds were trolls who thought real life was a game of _Grottos and Gremlins_ and spent most of their time manipulating those around them like running a campaign. Jimmy made a mental note to avoid the library. The Preps were all inbred and annoying but ran a boxing club in town, so if they got on Jimmy's nerves that badly, he could probably just smack them into submission. 

The Greasers almost made Jimmy snort out loud. Really, who was still sporting that look? But Gary made a good point that if Jimmy got in good with them, he could probably get a nice bike out of it. The jocks ruled the school, according to Gary. They were all much bigger than Jimmy, except for a redheaded boy in a blue sweater, but Jimmy wasn't scared. None of them were bigger than Russell, anyway. The bell eventually rang, and Jimmy checked his schedule. Chemistry, first thing in the morning?

* * *

After managing not to get blown up in Chemistry class, Jimmy exited the main building to find Dr. Crabblesnitch waiting for him outside.

_Well shit. Here it is, I guess._

"Ah yes, Hopkins. May we talk?" He asked.

"Do I have a choice?" 

"No."

"Alright, talk."

"You seem to be making yourself quite comfortable here, boy," Dr. Crabblesnitch said.

"I'm just trying to fit in," Jimmy said. Dr. Crabblesnitch's brow furrowed. 

"By making a nuisance of yourself? By starting fights? That is not the Bullworth way!"

"You could have fooled me," Jimmy muttered.

"Excuse me?!"

"I said, you could have fooled me. This school is full of nothing but bullies and maniacs."

"Nonsense, that's just school spirit," Dr. Crabblesnitch said, shaking his head, "Why in my day we thought nothing of castrating the new boys. I want you to stop this nonsense, boy. You might learn something."

"Fine, can I go now, _sir_?" Jimmy asked, exasperated. Dr. Crabblesnitch nodded.

"On your way," He said, walking away and waving at Jimmy dismissively. Jimmy rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time today and didn't hear the person sneaking up behind him until the whizzing of a BB pellet hit him in the ear.

"Ow, shit, what the hell?" Jimmy cried, holding his aching ear. Now known to Jimmy as Davis, Slingshot boy peeked out from behind a corner with his slingshot at the ready.

"I heard you suckin' up to Crabblesnitch. This is what we do to teacher's pets around here," Davis said and pulled back his slingshot to take another shot at Jimmy.

"YOU BETTER N-" Jimmy started but was cut off by another BB shot into his side. 

"Yeah? Come and get me," Davis yelled and raced away from him, down the stairs. Jimmy cupped his ear once more, feeling the blood start to seep out. He shook his head and watched Davis run away, turning to run towards the library. Jimmy raced towards him and leaped over the railing. He saw Davis's eyes widen as he landed right behind him. 

"Holy shit," He heard Davis cry, scrambling away from Jimmy like a madman as he regained his footing. Jimmy was closing in on him as they raced towards the fountain. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Petey watching him from the sidelines with a childlike wonder. Davis picked up a trashcan and threw it at Jimmy, expecting it to slow him down. Jimmy leaped over it and rolled, somersaulting on the ground gracefully and returning to his feet. Davis' eyes widened again, and he raced towards the sound of voices towards the right of the fountain, where Jimmy could see the shop class was. Jimmy ran after him but was cut off by the gate in front of him snapping closed and a boy in a polo shirt cutting him off. Jimmy frowned exasperatedly and grabbed the boy by the collar, practically tossing him over his shoulder like yesterday's garbage. He heard the boy howl in surprise when he landed somewhere farther away from Jimmy than he was expecting.

 _Whoa, did I just do that?_ Jimmy wondered, but he didn't look back to see how far he had just tossed the boy. He pried the gate, and it snapped open easily. As a matter of fact, he was pretty sure it would never open again. Davis ran past the left side of the building, and Jimmy was hot on his heels again but was taken out from the side when a blond boy, who he now knew was Trent Northwick, tackled him. Davis continued his journey, running into the open garage and slamming the pull-down door shut. Jimmy shoved Trent off of him, and the two squared off.

"I really don't have time for this," Jimmy said. Trent lunged at him anyway. Jimmy spotted the open dumpster behind them and allowed Trent to take him down once again. However, this time, Jimmy brought his foot up into Trent's torso when they went down and sent him flying into the dumpster, the lid slamming shut with a thud. Jimmy heard a soft cry of 'ow' from inside. He smirked, got back up, and crossed to the garage door. He wrenched it open with ease and was immediately attacked by another boy in a polo.

"No," Jimmy said, still annoyed, shoving the boy across the room into a workbench. Ethan slammed into the workbench hard, it splintering underneath him. He didn't get back up, groaning and clutching his back. Jimmy wrenched open the second shutter door but was rushed yet again, time being attacked in a twofer by Wade and Tom. Jimmy grabbed Wade by the arm, twisting it behind him, then tossing him into Tom. They crashed onto the ground together inside, and Jimmy slammed the shutter door shut, locking them inside, at least momentarily. A BB whizzed past his ear and clanged against the shutter door. Jimmy turned around and spotted Davis, aiming his slingshot at Jimmy, prepared to strike again. He was standing on a makeshift platform of boards, tires, oil drums, milk crates, and boxes. It didn't look stable. 

"You can't get me up here," Davis grinned, kicking down the ladder he used to climb up, but his voice was shaking. He didn't know if Jimmy could get up there or not. The boy was quick and could leap long distances. Davis fired off another shot, and Jimmy dove to the ground. Noticing a brick on the ground, Jimmy grabbed it, and before Davis could finish pleading at him not to, Jimmy had flung the brick into the middle of the platform, and it gave way, sending Davis tumbling a good seven or eight feet to the ground. Davis groaned, clutching his sides. He would have some serious bruising tomorrow, probably everywhere. Jimmy wrenched his slingshot out of his hands.

"Please, no, stop, don't shoot," Davis said, covering his face. Jimmy chuckled before a figure in his periphery caught his eye. He spun around, seeing a greying, middle-aged man watching him intently. The intensity of the stare made Jimmy gasp, but the man quickly darted away. 

"Who was that?" Jimmy asked Davis, who was still cowering in fear.

"Who was what? I didn't see anything, I swear," Davis pleaded.

"You're useless," Jimmy said, stepping over Davis and vaulting over a broken piece of the fence. 

* * *

Jimmy walked into English class feeling good, it wasn't his best subject, but he could manage without breaking a sweat. After all, he had just beaten up an entire clique and barely broken one. In the middle of the room, he stopped short when stood the greying, middle-aged man who had seen him fighting Davis earlier. Jimmy hadn't known how long the man had been watching, and he felt uneasy. They made eye contact, and after a brief moment, the man nodded to an empty seat for Jimmy to take. Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief, taking the seat gratefully. Gary was in the seat next to him and gave him a sideways grin. 

_Right, this is my mentor guy. At least he isn't planning on busting me._ Yet.

"Hello class, we've got a new student joining us today, and instead of embarrassing him by making him stand up and describe himself, I'm just gonna leave it up to you all to make him feel welcome. Can you do that?" Mr. Galloway asked, and the students murmured disinterestedly. Davis and Trent walked in late, both glaring daggers at Jimmy. Mr. Galloway seemed to either not notice their presence or not care.

"Great, okay, here are your vocabulary worksheets. Try and finish them in class, so you have more free time outside!" He said, passing them out. Jimmy really tried to focus, managing to finish just before the bell rang. He was about to get up to hand it in when the bell rang. The other students gathered at the front and rushed quickly out of the room.

"I will see you all in our next class. Mr. Hopkins, could you please stay behind a moment?" Mr. Galloway asked. Gary furrowed his brows in confusion and mouthed, _see you later_ at him, but on his way out, gave Mr. Galloway a look that Jimmy couldn't discern. Mr. Galloway took Jimmy's paper from his desk and read it, making a couple of marks on it. Jimmy felt nervous. Was he about to get in trouble or not? 

"I see you're not very far behind from the rest of the class. I'm Mr. Galloway, your English teacher, and mentor in the school board program. I'm sure Dr. Crabblesnitch has already complained to you...I mean...told you about," Mr. Galloway said with a wry smile that put Jimmy at ease.

"Yeah, look. You don't have to. I know I'm a troubled kid with a checkered past, but really, I'm fine. I swear what you saw earlier was an isolated incident," Jimmy said, tucking the slingshot into his bag surreptitiously, "Whatever you saw," He added. 

"Hmm, yes, has it ever occurred to you that's the reason you're in this mentorship program?"

"Well, yeah. What else would it be? Look, I appreciate you not ratting me out to Crabblesnitch, but I swear I don't need this. I'll fill out whatever forms you want; I'll even come in here and do my homework if we really need to make it look like I'm doing something, but I'm not gonna sit here and talk about my feelings, okay?"

"That's not why you're here," Mr. Galloway said, walking towards his desk. 

"Great, cool. Wait, then why am I here, exactly?" Jimmy asked. He pulled open a drawer and pulled out what looked to be an ancient book.

"Because you have to stop them," Mr. Galloway said, "It's your destiny."

"...What? Stop who?" Jimmy said, completely lost and confused.

"The vampires," Mr. Galloway said, setting down a book on Jimmy's desk. The cover featured an etching of a snarling, demonic face. The mouth was full of sharp, jagged fangs.

"...What?" Jimmy asked, dumbstruck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! The setup is pretty much identical to the beginning of the game, but it's gonna divert from the source material pretty quickly to add a demonic presence.


End file.
